US Secretary of State Colin Powell will pay an unscheduled visit to Beirut tomorrow. The US says it forms part of his effort to bring about a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell will pay an unscheduled visit to Beirut tomorrow.
The US says it forms part of his effort to bring about a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.
The government said in a statement that Powell would visit Beirut for a few hours for talks with President Emile Lahoud and other officials.
During the past week, Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas have been firing rockets on daily basis at Israeli military posts in the disputed Chebaa Farms area in southern Lebanon.
Israel has responded with artillery bombardments and airstrikes on Lebanon.
When Powell's regional tour was announced earlier this month, Lebanon and Syria, the main power broker in Lebanon, were left out, prompting Beirut to express dissatisfaction that the country was not being consulted on the peace process.
Media reports and experts said both Beirut and Damascus were concerned that they may be left out of any settlement as the United States focuses on ending the Palestinian-Israeli fighting.
PA